Right now, I bet you are in the mad rush of planning your Thanksgiving meal. Perhaps you’re coordinating travel plans. Or making the first of probably many trips to the grocery store over the next few days. Oh, and then there’s setting the table. Cooking the meal. Making the Black Friday game plan. And trying to have fun amidst all the stress.

I’m not into traditional Thanksgiving foods. No turkey, stuffing, or canned green bean casserole for me. My family has had everything from ham to tacos to pan seared filet mignon. This year’s menu is still in the planning stages, but it will include a fabulous dessert in addition to some other non-traditional food. I may made some of my easy from scratch Cranberry Sauce and throw in some Brussels sprouts just so we’re not totally straying from the holiday.

Thanksgiving breakfast gets overlooked, I think. A day full of decadent food deserves an equally decadent breakfast. It kicks an early morning off right so you have energy to cook away all day long.

Maybe your ideal breakfast is eggs and bacon. Perhaps it’s doughnuts or bagels from your favorite local spot. Or even breakfast from one of the open fast food restaurants. For me, it’s pancakes. Something sweet and so good it makes me want to dance in the middle of the kitchen.

These Gingerbread Pancakes? They’ll definitely make you bust a move. Mix together the dry ingredients the night before. In the morning they just need to be mixed with a couple other things before being cooked up and served with some warm maple syrup.

The warm, soothing flavor of these pancakes is perfect for the holiday season and chilly weather. The fluffy texture is the only thing better than the flavor. It’s like eating real cake. No flat pancakes here! I don’t know about you, but I think the fluffiest pancakes are the best.

Everyone will run to the table for these pancakes. Better make a double batch! And then, if the turkey doesn’t turn out quite right, no one will remember. They’ll still be talking about these pancakes! Oh, and they’d make a great Christmas breakfast too!

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and brown sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, oil, and milk and stir until just incorporated. A few lumps are okay.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. I use a stainless steel skillet but non-stick will work. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Place dollops of about ¼ cup of batter in the skillet. Cook for about 1 minute and 30 seconds or until you start to see bubbles forming. Flip the pancakes and cook an additional minute. Continue flipping every 30 seconds until the pancakes are golden brown and fully cooked. You may check them with a toothpick, which should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Place pancakes on the foil in the oven until all of them have been cooked. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

My eyes are bigger than my stomach.Not when I’m eating (although that happens on occasion) but when I’m shopping.Put me in the grocery store and I want it all.

My cart is loaded down with produce before I even contemplate what I’m going to do with everything.You mean I can’t eat peaches, plums, blueberries, cherries, grapes, and apples all in one week?But it all looks so good.

Then I hit the snack aisle.Ten bags of chips later, my cart is overflowing and I’m worried about watching expiration dates.But there’s no way that bag of chips has ten servings in it, and I’m even good about portion control.So the chips tend not to last that long anyway because when a bag is ¾ the way full of air, it pretty much can’t.

Sweets are my true love.I’ve trained myself to avoid most bakery treats because they’re never as good as mine and I bake so much that there’s no way I can eat it all.Walking through the bakery section always makes me a little wishful to pretty much buy it all and stuff my face.But I resist!I do buy candy with reckless abandon, along with special flavors of Golden Oreos.Gingerbread Oreos still have my heart.

Then there was the panettone staring at me in the pantry.I had to have it at Christmas and now it’s almost expired.Panettone lasts a seriously long time because of the way it’s made, in case you were wondering how it’s still good four months later.I wouldn’t let myself waste it.So I had to eat it.I know.Poor me.

I’ve also been craving French toast, which Mom used to make all the time but I haven’t had in probably ten years.So Mom and I whipped up a batch of Panettone French Toast, and I am so glad we did.The creamy, custardy center was perfectly off set by the crispy exterior, and the flavors of the panettone still shined through without ever becoming too sweet.Maple syrup was okay with it, but I loved blackberry jam.If you don’t have a panettone staring at you, a lot of grocery stores carry them year round, or a basic raisin bread would work.I’d just soak it a little longer because it’s not as soft and moist as panettone.I’m just glad I still have half the panettone left to make more French toast next week.I mean, I have to eat it, right?

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, as well as cinnamon and vanilla, if using.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Place 1-2 slices of panettone in the custard and allow to soak 1 minute on each side or 2 minutes fully submerged.

Once the skillet is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the soaked panettone to the skillet and cook 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Repeat with the other slices of panettone. Serve immediately with maple syrup and jam.

I’m a bit of a cereal addict. Mom and I are the only people who eat cereal in the house and there are at least ten boxes in the pantry. Yep, you read that right. Ten boxes. But constantly eating cereal with milk and maybe a banana for breakfast can get a bit boring after awhile. I need some cereal variety in my life.

Luckily cereal is one of those foods that is super versatile. Depending on the variety, it can be used to coat chicken or fish, to top a casserole or macaroni and cheese, or for baking. I absolutely love baking with cereal. There’s something fun about it that almost always brings me back to childhood, when life was simple and cereal for breakfast or a lunch box surprise at school was all I needed to be instantly happy.

Picking up Fruity Pebbles at Walgreens!

All kinds of heart healthy sweet treats can be made with cereal (in fact, stay tuned for a scrumptious granola bar recipe coming up!), but today I bring you cookies. Not just any kind of cookies, but healthy cookies. Cookies that are meant to be eaten for breakfast. That’s right, cookies for breakfast! Cookies that you can feel great about eating for breakfast.

It’s so important to get a good, heart healthy start to the day, which led me to create Fruity Pebbles Breakfast Cookies to help celebrate American Heart Month. They are full of super healthy rolled oats, which add fiber, protein, and iron to the cookies and help to lower that pesky cholesterol. Peanut butter adds some more protein and super healthy fats. There’s some pure maple syrup for sweetness, and one egg to bind. But eggs aren’t the bad guys they are often made out to be. In fact, they are often called the perfect protein and are an important component of a healthy diet. Plus, there’s the star: Fruity Pebbles! They happen to be gluten free, so if you use gluten free oats, these cookies are gf friendly!

The resulting cookie, is soft and moist in the center with a bit of crunch on the outside. The peanut butter flavor really comes through with a hint of maple syrup in the background and plenty of that bright Fruity Pebbles flavor I crave on a regular basis. Make a batch of these and freeze the leftovers for quick weekday breakfasts!

Walgreens is the perfect place to pick up a box of Fruity Pebbles or your other favorite Post cereals. It’s perfect one stop shopping to pick up cereal and any other little things you might need. When I was there, I stocked up on candy too!

In a medium bowl, stir together oats, Fruity Pebbles, and baking soda.

In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Add oat mixture and stir until fully incorporated.

Using a regular sized ice cream scoop, scoop cookies onto prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes until cookies are golden brown and just set. Cool completely on pan. Cookies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag. Cookies may be thawed at room temperature for 1 hour or in the microwave for 30 seconds.

I’ve been really good, no complaining here, but I can’t do it anymore.I just can’t.This weather is killing me.It’s the worst winter ever!I’m not exaggerating, there’s evidence.Unless you’re some snow bunny, it’s crazy bad.If I wanted to live in the Arctic, I would.

First there’s our enemy the polar vortex.Seriously, he needs to be on the FBI most wanted list.And I know it’s a he, because he clearly is refusing to ask for directions.I don’t ever remember school being closed because it’s so cold outside.I’m literally hibernating like a bear.I don’t do temperatures in the single digits or below zero.

Speaking of “snow days” I don’t know whether to be mad I didn’t have all these days off when I was in school or happy.You know, after awhile those days are gonna have to be made up, which is such a bummer.

As if the dangerously cold temperatures that had us dripping faucets at night weren’t enough, there’s snow.Tons of it.Our neighborhood is a depressing Arctic landscape, the parking lots are full of snow mountains, and our deck had to be shoveled!January was the snowiest month ever here in Detroit.Not even just the snowiest January, but the snowiest month EVERRRRRRR!We got our seasonal average in one month.And what’s it doing right now you ask.Yeah, it’s snowing.

To put insult to injury, that pesky groundhog said there’ll be six more weeks of winter.He better be wrong, because this girl needs some sunshine and warmth.

For now, I’ll have to settle for these Snickerdoodle Cookie Cups.I’d never made cookies in the muffin tin before, but I can’t wait to do it again.You don’t have to worry about the cookies spreading and the crunchy exteriors are perfectly matched by the soft and chewy interiors.Oh, and this frosting!It’s a wonderfully creamy mix of cinnamon and maple syrup that is pure heaven, unlike this weather.

Make the cookie cups. In a small saucepan, brown the butter. The butter will melt and then bubble until it is dark amber in color and very fragrant. Once this happens, immediately remove it from the heat. Allow to cool 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a muffin tin with shortening.

In a large bowl, beat cooled butter with sugars until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would work as well. Beat in the egg until once again light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and maple syrup.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add to butter mixture and stir until just combined.

In another small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon for topping. Using a regular sized ice cream scoop, scoop the cookie dough. Roll each scoop into a ball and coat fully in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place in muffin tin. Repeat until cookie dough is all used. Bake for 16-18 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Cool in pan about 15 minutes, before removing from tin and cooling completely.

Make the frosting. Using a hand or stand mixer beat butter with 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat to combine. Taste the frosting, if it is not sweet enough, add more sugar. If it is too thick, add some milk or cream slowly until it is spreadable.

Generously frost each cookie with the buttercream. If the centers caved in, this is okay, and the perfect place to add more frosting! The cookie cups may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer, wrapped in parchment and foil, and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature about an hour.

I’m guessing there’s a good chance you’re stressed out right now.Maybe you’re wrapping up things at work before scurrying home to . . . well, work some more.Perhaps you’re traveling and hoping Mother Nature doesn’t affect your plans.Who decided all major holidays should be in the middle of winter?Or maybe you’re at home prepping food and the house for tomorrow, taking one final inventory of the pantry before you head to the store along with everyone else in the world.I feel your pain on that one.I’ll be at the grocery store today.You might also have guests arriving soon, adding to the to do list.

While I don’t travel on Thanksgiving anymore, I have, so I know what you’re going through.It can be chaos.Packing, traveling, unpacking, cooking.It’s enough to make us forget what this day is all about.Sure it’s about fantastic food, watching football and parades, putting up Christmas decorations.But mostly, it’s about spending time with the people we love and enjoying their company.It’s about being thankful.

My best advice?Take a deep breath.That’s it.Right now.Stop what you’re doing and just breathe.One or five minutes isn’t going to ruin everything and throw your schedule into shambles.A few minutes now will ensure calm success later.

To help you out more, I made Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce.I don’t really eat any traditional foods on Thanksgiving.Filet mignon is on the menu at my house.One of the reasons I don’t like Thanksgiving food is because much of it comes from a can, and homemade food is much tastier. I know it’s easier to use canned foods, but with this cranberry sauce there are no excuses.A few simple ingredients, little prep time, and ten minutes on the stove give you thick, flavorful, homemade cranberry sauce.It has the perfect balance of tart and sweet, enhanced by plump dried cherries.Maple syrup gives a smooth flavor that adds complexity, not just sweetness.It’s also vegan and gluten free, meaning everyone at your Thanksgiving feast can enjoy it!Best of all, you can make it today and serve tomorrow!This is sure to become a new Thanksgiving tradition!

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together cranberries, cherries, orange zest, cinnamon, water, sugar, and maple syrup. Bring to a boil while stirring frequently. Continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and most of the berries have burst, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Sauce may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

I’m a football orphan.You’ve heard of football widows, but me?I’m a football orphan.And the culprit isn’t whom you’d expect.Dad played college football and he enjoys watching the games on TV.However, he doesn’t mind doing other things during the games and can hold a full conversation without interjecting some sports related commentary.He’s content to sit in his chair, half watching the game, half playing some other computer game, quietly enjoying a relaxing Sunday.He’s a pretty casual football fan.

Mom . . . yeah . . . not so much.Don’t get me wrong, if things need to be done, Mom does them regardless of what is on TV.But on Sundays, during the Lions games, she is a bit of a lost cause.She prefers not to have many distractions, and trying to talk to her about important stuff doesn’t really work, as I can’t manage to tear her attention away from the game.

The games all have trained professionals doing play-by-play commentary, but it’s like Mom isn’t aware of this fact, can’t hear them, because I all too frequently hear her basically calling the games over the commentators, creating quite the cacophony of sound.“That’s a first down” and “Touchdown” can often be heard being yelled in our house on Sunday afternoons.Worst of all are the outbursts of shouting and shrieking, as though it will make the players run faster or catch the pass, along with Mom turning from play-by-play announcer to coach, criticizing plays, wondering why they were run.This is only a little distracting while I’m trying to work.A few gentle reminders calm Mom down . . . at least for a few minutes!

I found plenty of calm in this Pear Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze.I’ve wanted to make this cake for a long time and am so glad I finally got around to it.The super moist cake is full of fresh, soft pears and comforting, warm cinnamon. I used the fabulous Warren pears from Frog Hollow and think that made the cake turn out even better. The pears were sweet, juicy, vanilla -y bits of heaven in the super moist and sweetly spiced cake. The crumble is soft in parts and a bit crunchy in others, providing contrasting texture, and the glaze brings it all together with the fantastic maple syrup goodness.It’s not too sweet and is a coffee cake, so it’s breakfast appropriate, but it’s also decadent enough for dessert.Whenever you eat this cake, it’s definitely a touchdown!

Make the cake. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would work as well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between each addition, until the eggs are fully incorporated and the mixture is once again light and fluffy.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Do three additions of flour and two of sour cream. Add in the vanilla and pears. Stir until the pears are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.

Make the topping. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter using a fork or your fingers until it is well combined and forms clumps of various sizes. Sprinkle into an even layer over cake batter. Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.

While the cake cools, make the glaze. In a small bowl, stir together sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup until smooth. Add more maple syrup as needed until it can be drizzled over the cake. Serve cake warm or cool completely in pan. Cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen in pieces, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour or in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute until warmed through.

Fruit and vegetables are some of my favorite parts of summer (along with pretty much everything else).I love in April and May when it seems like there are new finds in the grocery store each week.Zucchini, ramps and asparagus are first, soon to be followed by peaches, cherries, and blueberries.I fill my cart upon first spotting these signs of hope after the long, ugly winter.

The farmers’ market becomes a Saturday ritual once June and July roll around.For whatever reason, our market doesn’t really kick into gear until the middle of summer.In the blink of an eye, it goes from only flowers to an abundance of produce: greens, beans, garlic, onions, cherries, berries.The sun shines as we walk around, all of the farmers happy to see a familiar face.

There’s nothing like fresh garlic from the farmers’ market.It is sweet and when roasted has an almost mashed potato like quality.I could eat a whole head easily!And the tomatoes, oh, the tomatoes.Red and heirloom varieties fill the stands.I can’t get enough of them during their short season, as long as their drowning in vinegar in Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Onions.

But I have a confession to make.When it comes to most fruits: cherries, blueberries, plums, and especially nectarines and peaches, I much prefer California varieties to those grown locally and sold at farmers’ markets.To me Michigan and even southern peaches don’t come remotely close to matching the huge, juicy, perfectly ripe and sweet California peaches.They are my favorite fruit on earth, hands down.Plus, if you read my blog regularly, you know I want to move to California more than anything.I know I’m destined to be a California girl.And I’ll love their farmers’ markets.

So for this week’s farmers’ market inspired Sunday Supper, we’ll pretend I’m already living in California and made this Peach Maple Ice Cream there.For peach ice cream, it’s not overly peachy, but the slight peach flavor, along with a punch of maple syrup and a kick of bourbon made me fall in love with this ice cream.The smell is intoxicating and lures you in to taking a bite and then another and another.The creamy texture makes this chilly treat doubly irresistible.So wherever you live and whatever kind of peaches you use, just make sure you make this ice cream.

Also, I am looking for a publicist to help spread the word about me, as well as my blog.Please let me know if you or anyone you know can help me out 🙂I would really appreciate your help!

Peel the peaches and reserve the peels. Place the peaches in a medium bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

In a medium saucepan, place the cream, milk, and reserved peach skins. Bring to a simmer, before removing from the heat, covering, and allowing to steep for 20 minutes. After the cream has steeped, remove the peach skin from it. You may strain it or just fish them out with a spoon (I used a spoon).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Slowly whisk in half of the cream mixture, then add that to the rest of the cream in the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. The mixture should also reach 170 degrees on a candy thermometer. Once this happens, pour the custard into a clean medium sized bowl. Add the maple syrup, bourbon, and vanilla, and stir to combine. Allow to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, then place in the refrigerator until fully chilled, at least 4 hours and up to overnight (I chill overnight).

Once the custard is chilled, place the peaches and about 1 cup of the custard in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Stir the peach mixture into the rest of the custard. Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It may be eaten as soft serve or frozen for about 30 minutes to firm. Ice cream may be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up 1 month.

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter today!We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our#SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

The Super Bowl means two things for me: commercials and half time. I like football. I like the players and their stories. The underdog winning when you least expect it. Learning the stories behind the game. Hearing about the people that aren’t always at the forefront of publicity. Having something to cheer for, along with the rest of the country, even when it seems there isn’t anything to be happy about. I love watching the pregame shows. I’m a FOX viewer, welcoming Curt, Terry, Howie, Michael, and Jimmy into my home every week during the season, along with my local pregame team. They make me laugh and teach me something about a game I’m not all that familiar with. I haven’t missed an episode of Inside the NFL in years, even as it changed hosts and networks.

Other than touchdowns and field goals, first downs and punts, I don’t know much about the game itself at all. Off sides, holding, pass interference, it’s like another language. When I’m watching Inside the NFL, I fast forward through the highlight segments. The game itself kind of bores me. But at the end of the day it’s about moments of amazing plays and winners and losers. That fascinates me. I’ll be the first to cheer for an amazing play. A zero – zero tie heading into the fourth quarter? I’ll be in the kitchen.

The Super Bowl is the only game I actually sit on the couch and watch. And truthfully, I don’t really watch it. I can’t get enough of the day long pre game coverage. Musical performances before the game excite me. Then the game comes on and I pick up my latest read or my phone to catch up on blog work and email. But everything gets set aside when the commercials begin. In a world where I fast forward through every commercial, this is the one night when I am riveted by them, occasionally rewinding to catch it again. If I need to pause for any reason, it’s during the game I catch up.

Halftime is the best. A performer’s best in less than fifteen minutes. It couldn’t get better with not only Beyonce, but also a Destiny’s Child reunion this year. I’ve seen Destiny’s Child in concert twice and know almost all their songs. This should be a halftime show that I’ll remember forever.

Of course, you need a treat while you watch the game. Sure, there needs to be savory food, but what’s a football game without dessert? These Caramel Pretzel Bars instantly struck me as Super Bowl worthy. A thin, yet firm brown sugar shortbread has amazing texture, some of the best I’ve found in shortbread, along with a mild sweetness. But the topping of caramel, with its complex flavor, accented by honey, and pretzels make these the ultimate treat. Crunchy, creamy, smooth, sweet, salty – these bars have everything. I was really impressed by the components separately as well as together. I have to say the stand out is the caramel. It’s so rich and smooth, but somehow the honey flavor is really pronounced, a welcome treat.

Whether you’re watching the game, checking out the commercials, or avoiding the hoopla altogether, these bars are a treat for any day. They’ll leave you yelling touchdown!

6 cups small pretzel twists, broken into large pieces (I used Rold Gold)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang to pull the bars out later.

Make the crust. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would work as well. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is crumbly. Press into the pan firmly. Bake for 15-18 minutes until light golden brown around the edges.

While the crust is baking and cooling, make the filling. In a large saucepan over medium or medium-high heat, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the cream and insert a candy thermometer in the pan. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees F. Once this happens, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pretzels immediately.

Pour the pretzel-caramel mixture over the prepared crust and spread evenly over the crust. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling. Allow to cool completely in the pan. When cool, use the parchment to remove the bars from the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Bars may stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Do you ever want something but don’t want to go through the effort of getting it? You know, the times when the idea of something sounds amazing, but there are too many steps to get to the amazingness? Like when you want to go out to eat, take the night off from cooking, but getting ready, going somewhere, waiting for a table, then food, and getting home super late just sound like a huge hassle. Instead of eating in a restaurant you get take out or better yet, delivery. Problem solved.

Then there’s that need for a new dress for a wedding, party, or event. You’ll look great in it once you find the perfect one. But first you have to go through all the other not so perfect ones. For me this has often meant hours searching online, hesitant to order anything because of the pain it will be to return the dress when it inevitably doesn’t fit. The other option, going to the mall, isn’t much better, as you stack dresses into your arms and hunker down in the dressing room for the better part of an afternoon wishing you could wear pajamas to the event because none of the dresses look good. Maybe you get lucky enough to find a dress that’s close enough to perfect, but more than likely you return home, hands empty, and revert back to the old standby dress in your closet. Even though everyone’s seen it, at least it looks fabulous.

This time of year, putting up Christmas lights also falls into this category of tasks. No matter how many years you’ve put up lights, it always sounds easy to do, as we forget the trouble of years prior. You remind yourself it will look great when finished, your house will be the star of the neighborhood. But then half the lights don’t work, the rest are a tangled mess, the trees are too tall, the lights won’t stay in the bushes, and it’s freaking cold outside. The answer? Put up just enough to be festive. Let someone else be the star of the neighborhood.

When I’m baking, sometimes I find there’s a treat that sounds amazing, but I just don’t have the time or energy to make it. Like Pecan Pie. It’s one of my all-time favorite desserts, and based on your comments, one of yours too. The flavor is wonderful and sweet; it’s gooey and crunchy, and it’s pie. I love pie. But it’s a lot of work to make the dough, chill the dough, roll the dough, make the filling, bake the pie, wait for the pie to cool. Enter Pecan Pie Cookies. Pecan Pie’s easier to make cousin, these have all the same amazing flavors as the traditional treat mixed with a cakey sugar cookie. It’s like eating cake and pie at the same time. I bet I really have your interest now.

A simple vanilla flavored cakey cookie gets kicked up with pecans. Formed into a giant cookie cup, they are then filled with a pretty traditional pecan pie filling. During baking they flatten out, as the gooey pecan goodness spreads over the top and into the cookie, giving you the flavor you’re looking for in every bite. The cookies are super soft with that rich, maple-y pecan pie goo flavor and lots of crunchy pecans. Your other Christmas cookies better watch out because these are bound to be your new, easy to make favorite.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and ground pecans.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would work too. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until once again light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and mix until a dough just comes together.

Take about a golf ball size amount of dough and form it into basically a very large thumbprint cookie. This will give you a sturdy base with a big indentation in the middle.

Make the filling. In a medium bowl, stir together pecans, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, maple syrup, and butter. Fill the indentation in the cookie dough balls with the filling. Be generous.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cookies are set and light golden brown around the edges. They will have flattened and spread and the filling will cover much of the cookie. Allow to cool completely on sheets. May be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour or in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.

We all enter contests sometimes, and as a baking blogger, finding and entering contests is pretty much a part of my job. I found one such contest a few weeks ago. Giada de Laurentiis of Food Network fame ran a recipe contest asking people to put their spin on one of the recipes from her show of Halloween sweets. Four winners would be chosen, and they would be featured on the homepage of her website for a day. This was perfect for me.

So I went to the drawing board. The episode featured a yogurt and fruit parfait, chocolate cake pops, and pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies. Hmmmmm . . . pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies. What if I turned them into cupcakes?

That’s exactly what I did with the addition of a simple maple glaze. They were easy to make and fantastic on the first try, exceeding my expectations. I was super excited. I submitted my entry, following the rules to a tee and was even retweeted by a Giada fan Twitter.

The day for winners to be announced came. I was not one of them. Can’t win ‘em all; I understand that. But only two winners were chosen. Not four. Based on a Twitter search there didn’t seem to be many entries, but mine is clearly there. Since I know there were more than two entries, three (if there were only three) or four winners should have been chosen as stated.

I’m still a fan of Giada and her food, but this unfair contest has disappointed and upset me a great deal. It is so important that all contests, perhaps especially those from our food idols, be run properly. I can assure you all giveaways and contests here will be run exactly according to the rules specified.

The good news is these cupcakes are still amazing, healthy, and just in time for Thanksgiving. Moist pumpkin cupcakes get a bit of chewy texture from oatmeal, along with sweetness from raisins and a bit of spice. They’re topped with demerara sugar, giving great crunch and flavor. Though totally unnecessary, a maple glaze makes the whole thing irresistible. Make these a day or two before Thanksgiving as a power breakfast while making turkey, a snack for waiting and hungry guests, dessert, or as a treat just for you after all the company is gone. These will be a winner in your book, even if they weren’t in Giada’s.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 11 cups in a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, oatmeal, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and cloves. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, syrup, eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Pour flour mixture into sugar mixture and stir just to combine. Fold in raisins until evenly distributed.

Using a regular sized ice cream scoop, scoop batter into paper liners, filling all the way to the top. Sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan.

When the cupcakes have cooled completely, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, vanilla, and syrup, until a thick yet spreadable glaze has formed, adding more sugar or syrup as necessary. Drizzle over cupcakes immediately. Cupcakes with glaze may be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen without glaze wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple hours, or in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes.